The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-02-10
A Letter From Birmingham.

Tor this answer 10 uuueFUus luquaiieS
which are coming to me every mail since
my location in this city. The claims of
my business are such upon my attention
that find it impossible to indulge my.
self in the pleasure of replying to each
of the interrogatories individually.
They have come from speculators, mer.
chants, mechanics, railroad men and
common laborers-all desiring informa.
tion; and I hope that this general letter
will be comprehensive enough and
responsive enough to give each and all
of the inquirers the desired information.
To begin, then, I may say that the city
of Birmingham is the most remarkable
and rapidly growing city in the world,
both in population, in wealth and in
newly inaugurated industrial enterprises.
As an evidence Of this, [ will cite few
facts, that, without comment of mine will
satisfy the most skep:ical doubter that l
do not indulge in the language of exag-
geration when I assert the broad propo.
sition above stated: In the year 1880,
Birmingham bad a population of 4,5O0;
in 1854, population of 1900; in 1885,
population of 81, BAT in 1856, a popu.
lation of $4,000; and now a population
of about 10000. The value Of taxable
property in Jefferson County in 1880 was
only S3,246,374, while in 1886, as shown
by Tax Receivers returns, this value had
increased tc s11,079619. Since this
assessment vas made at least s6,OOO,OOO
or s7,50O,o0o has been added to the
wealth Of the Couuty--the very large.
majority of which has been invested in
Birmingham and its immediate vicinity.
Capital has come to the city in larger
proportion to population than has ever
before beenoknown in the history of city
building. There are large number of
immense manufacturing establishments,
consisting of furnaces, rolling mills,
foundries, iron aud steel works, wood
works of all kinds, furniture factories;
and, indeed, every conceivable sort Of
similar enterprise. There is rapidly
growing Wholesale trade in every depart
ment of commerce which is destined to
be immensely increased in very few
months, upon the completion Of the
Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham
Railroad, the Georgia Pacific, westward
to Columbus, Mississippi, the Goodwater
extension of the Georgia Central, and
the Mobile and Birmingham connection.
Retail merchants in every line do &
magnificent and profitable business.
Employed il the various foundries,
furnaces, workshops and other wage pay.
ing establishments, there are fully fifteen
thousand male adult laborers in the Bir..
mingham District.
There is q steady demand for carpen.
ters, brick masons, aud all sorts of
laborers who can assist in house-building.
Thousands of houses are going up and
more will be started in the spring.
AS to wages, brick masons are paid
from S2.75 to 1915 per day; carpenters,
$500 to $500; stone cutters, 1925 to
1915; plasterers, s1.75 to 1925; pain
ters, $1.5o to s2.25; tuners, sl.25 to
1925; teamsters, 80 so to $500; day
laborers, s1.OO. There is g splendid call
for irst.clsss domestic servants-but only
frst.clas are wanted.
Labor is paid off every Saturday night
in cash.-a consideration Of Importance
alike to the retail dealer and the laborer
himself.
In a few words / may coincide by
remarking that the coal, iron and lime
stone fields produce their three hundred
and twelve crops per annum, aud these
go daily on the market to be converted
into cash to paY each week the wages of
the producer. Ours is very different
system from that Of the cotton country,
where the whole year is consumed in
producing and gathering and selling the
crop, and landlord and laborer have alike
to wait through weary months to secure
their compensation.
We need more hotels and boarding
houses; and this want is due to the fact
that immense throngs OF people are COM
ing into the city upon every train, either
to invest their money or to cast their lots
with our growing and famously properous
community.
One other thing may be mentioned,
while property is now selling here at
what persons from abroad regard as fabu-
lous prices-and, indeed, the prices have
advanced hundreds of per cent. in the
last six months-nevertheless, can most
confidently predict that by midsummer
every lot in the city will have doubled its
value to its owners.
Trust my word for it that when state
that at least $780, 900 in actual cash is
paid out in this city every Saturday
afternoon to employees, that / rather
under estimate than exaggerate the fact
as it really exists. Nearly all this money
is spent here for the various supplies
which are needed by these working peo-
pie and their families.
During this spring, summer and fall, |
know of contemplated building enter
prises which will surpass in extent all
those that have been completed in the
last three years. These movements are
made to meet an nctual demand which
an ever increasing population renders
steady; and investments ofthis sort will
assume to capitalists the handsomest
dividends while it vii! afford the working
classes comfortable and comparatively
cheap homes. 1t is vell.known fact